1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to an arrangement for dispensing or providing luggage pushcarts in extensive and complex mass transportation facilities such as airports or train stations in which a sufficient quantity of luggage pushcarts must be provided for and made available to passengers of arriving mass transportation means at the location of arrival and at the time of arrival of the mass transportation means for a user fee or at least for a security deposit for transporting the passengers"" luggage to individual means of transportation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In airports or train stations, as conventionally operated, the object of at least placing a luggage pushcart at the disposal of every passenger arriving with the mass transportation means at the proper time and place at the airport arrival gate or train platform is met in a more or less satisfactory manner in that a large number of employees are sent haphazardly, apart from a certain system drawn from experience, collectively or successively into some or all areas of the respective installation, train station or airport, to collect the luggage pushcarts deposited there and bring them to those assembly points, especially to the train platform or airport arrival gate, where the next mass transportation means to come in will arrive. Since the time and location of arrival and the number of passengers arriving with the mass transportation means, train or airplane, are known but the current location of the individual available luggage pushcarts which are spread out over the entire installation is only approximately known, the conventional method requires a considerable expenditure of time and personnel to seek out and gather the luggage pushcarts and to deliver them at the proper time to the individual cart stores which are set up at the arrival points of the mass transportation means, i.e., the airport gate or train platform, especially also since the respective state of fullness of these cart stores must be taken into account.
However, it is not only on the operator""s or provider""s side that the conventional method of providing luggage pushcarts is encumbered with considerable defects. Of no less gravity are the faults of the known systems which result from the fact that the luggage pushcarts which are stored in the cart stores can usually only be removed for a borrower fee or at least for a coin deposit using certain coins in the currency of the country in question. For this purpose, the stores containing the luggage pushcarts are outfitted with a coin-operated removal device such that a luggage pushcart can only be removed from the store at all by inserting one or more suitable coins into the coin-operated machine. Therefore, especially in international airports in countries with a less commonly used currency, arriving travelers very often have the problem that they are either carrying none of the country""s currency or, if they are, that there is no possibility in the baggage pickup area to exchange larger notes for the coins needed to remove a luggage pushcart from the store.
Further, the arriving traveler is also confronted by a similar problem when he or she desires to use public transit upon leaving the airport or train station and tickets for such public transit, as are commonly used at present, are dispensed only by machines, in particular coin-operated machines.
It follows from the foregoing that conventional arrangements for providing and dispensing luggage pushcarts in airports and train stations or the like points of arrival of more or less regularly operating mass transportation means such as airplanes or trains are highly unsatisfactory both for the operators of the train station or airport and for the individual travelers because they are complicated, expensive and not user-friendly.
Proceeding from the set of problems described above, the object upon which the present invention is based is to provide an arrangement for providing and dispensing luggage pushcarts which solves the two problem groups described above simultaneously and equally advantageously in such a way that, on the one hand, a sufficient quantity of luggage pushcarts can be made available at the appropriate time at the respective point of arrival, a train platform or airport arrival gate, with the fewest possible total number of luggage pushcarts and the smallest possible expenditure of time and personnel and, on the other hand, the arriving travelers can also remove a luggage pushcart from a store when not in possession of specific coins in the currency of the country in question.
According to the invention, this object is met substantially by the features indicated in claim 1. The use of a cart tracking system having transmitter/receiver units which are arranged alternately at the luggage pushcarts and at stationary arrangements in the installation makes it possible to collect luggage pushcarts which are scattered about the installation in the shortest possible time and with the smallest possible number of personnel and to bring them to the respective cart stores in due time for the arrival of the mass transportation means. At the same time, the use of cart stores which are outfitted with a programmable coin deposit accepting device which is at least partially independent of currency provides the individual travelers with the advantage that a luggage pushcart can be removed from the store even when the traveler is not in possession of suitable coins in the currency of the country in question. The surprising advantage of the proposed solution consists primarily in that both sets of problems are solved by an individual integrated arrangement which can be installed at a relatively modest expense resulting in a considerable savings for the operator of the train station or airport, while, at the same time, the individual traveler can also acquire the currency of the country practically without losses. For the most part, the individual traveler has the further advantage that he or she also acquires, at the same time, change in the country""s currency suitable for subsequent use of public transit such as a streetcar or bus.
Since the active transponders forming the mobile receiver/transmitter carry a first group of unchangeable data unmistakably characterizing the individual carts and can send this data as a detection signal, the current location of the individual cart and other statistical data such as the frequency of use, if required, can be determined and information, e.g., concerning scheduled maintenance, can be derived therefrom. Since the active transponders forming the mobile receiver/transmitter also carry a second group of changeable data at the same time, every luggage pushcart can be provided with an identification for the deposited sum when removed from the cart store and this identification can activate the deposit return device of a cart store when the cart is returned, wherein the deposit return simultaneously transmits a cancel signal for the changeable data of the respective transponder so as to prevent multiple deposit returns. For the operators of the train station or airport, this results in the advantage that the dispensing and retrieving of luggage pushcarts is protected absolutely against criminal misuse. The unchangeable data stored in the active transponders can comprise specifics concerning the identification of the cart, e.g., the cart number, date information, e.g., initial date of use, maintenance deadlines, or the like.
In order to determine the current whereabouts of the individual carts with sufficient reliability, it is proposed that a device for detecting the movement direction of each cart be. arranged at all passageways and crossings between two areas of the installation so that it can be determined whether a cart passing a stationary transmitter/receiver unit located at these passageways and crossings is entering or has just exited the respective area of the installation. According to a special feature of the invention, this is effected in that a transmitter/receiver unit which is designed as a double unit comprising two transmitter/receiver stations located at a distance from one another in the direction of the passageway or crossing is arranged at all passageways and crossings between two areas of the installation, both transmitter/receiver stations being coupled with one another via a logic circuit in such a way that a movement direction signal is determined from the sequence of successive response signals intercepted from the cart and is added to the detection signal. Further, since the movement direction signal is simply added to the individual detection signal of every cart, the system also at the same time supplies the stationary transmitter/receiver units designed as double stations with information concerning the current location of the specific cart in the installation.
Further, in a preferred construction, the transnutter/receiver units of the stationary transmitter/receiver system within a prompting field constantly emit a prompting signal and are provided in each instance with a device for preventing data collisions which also enables a trouble-free identification of a plurality of luggage pushcarts entering the prompting field simultaneously. This also results in that transponders which are located in the prompting field of a stationary transmitter/receiver unit are turned off after supplying the requested data so that power consumption is minimized. The antennae of the stationary transmitter/receiver units can be arranged on the ground but, in the interests of simplified assembly, are advisably arranged at the walls of the respective building sections. The active transponders can accordingly be arranged either at the underside of the luggage pushcart or at another suitable location thereon. The antennae of the stationary transmitter/receiver units are advisably arranged at entrances to the individual sectors of the overall installation. For the purpose of interrogating the entire supply of luggage pushcarts concerning maintenance work due, for example, the arrangement according to the invention comprises at least one mobile transmitter/receiver unit for detecting the group of unchangeable data of each transponder.
The arrangement according to the invention can also be used for purposes other than simply for managing luggage pushcarts as described above. In particular, it is possible to outfit individuals or groups of persons with coded active transponders so that their current location within the extensive airport or train station installation can be detected quickly. This can be advantageous particularly during prolonged waiting periods within the installation when the persons in question, e.g., children, must be found or when the members of a group of travelers must be assembled at a certain meeting place at a previously unspecified time.
For a less costly realization of the arrangement according to the invention, a first possibility is provided in that the stationary transmitter/receiver system of the cart tracking system and the releasing or dispensing devices of the cart stores which are outfitted with a coin deposit acceptance device are continuously connected with at least one display unit or command unit or supply unit formed by a central computer or host computer via the network formed by an existing telephone line system already installed in the installation.
Depending on given circumstances, it is also possible within the framework of an equally advantageous realization that the stationary transmitter/receiver system of the cart tracking system and the dispensing devices of the cart stores outfitted with the coin deposit acceptance device and a quantity of display units or command units and supply units contained in the system and at least one host computer can be constantly connected with one another by means of an open computer network, wherein the parts of the open computer network include existing networks and existing computer units, display units or switching units. The particular advantage in this possible realization consists primarily in that it involves the use of existing lines and simple supplementation thereof and also enables an easy integration of existing internal and external computer units and display units or switching units and, finally, also makes possible a virtually unlimited expansion by means of connectable units.
The decision as to which of the two proposed possible realizations will be given preference substantially depends upon the usability of existing equipment on the one hand and upon the required capacity of the arrangement, in particular with respect to the anticipated required expansions or alterations, on the other hand.
Regardless of which of the possible realizations for the electronic network is selected, it is further provided, according to the invention, that the receiver/transmitter unit onboard every luggage pushcart is protected from external mechanical damage and from tampering and is outfitted with an antenna integrated in the frame of the cart. The coin deposit acceptance device which is coupled with the device for releasing the individual carts in exchange for a coin deposit or borrower fee, which device controls the delivery opening of the cart store, comprises at least one money acceptance device which accepts foreign currency and a coin dispensing device which is controllable by means of a programmable computer which is connected downstream of the money acceptance device, wherein the money acceptance device has at least two insertion openings, one of which is designed to accept paper money, while the other is designed to accept coins, these insertion openings being combined, respectively, with a money or coin testing device, wherein a storage magazine containing only one type of coin is connected upstream of the coin dispensing device. For this purpose, the money testing device associated with the paper-money acceptance device can be outfitted with means for detecting and testing at least two different types of currency notes, especially foreign currency notes, and for generating a signal or a corresponding series of signals which is derived therefrom and is suitable for processing in a computer arranged downstream, and the computer arranged downstream of the money testing device can be connected to a central programming device for the continuous correction of an operand, in particular at least one set value representing a rate of exchange. Based on general experience, the paper currency acceptance device need only be able to accept, detect and test notes of one or two common international currencies for this purpose and transmit a signal or sequence of signals for the computer corresponding to the detected value of the accepted banknote. This construction of a coin-operated machine controlling the opening of the cart store for dispensing and removing is particularly advantageous in that the computer controlling the coin dispenser and/or the cart release can be programmed in such a way that it converts the detected value of an inserted banknote into the currency of the present country based on the most current rate of exchange and consequently dispenses a quantity of coins in the country""s currency corresponding to the current exchange value of the monetary amount inserted, also, if appropriate, while retaining the coin or coins required for releasing the cart. A coin-operated machine outfitted in this way accordingly allows the traveler to remove a luggage pushcart from the store not only by inserting coins in the country""s currency but also by paying the deposit or borrower fee in a currency other than that of the present country and, in so doing, also to receive the domestic currency in smaller denominations for other purposes.
When currencies are subject to extremely sharp fluctuations in the rate of exchange, the computer can also be connected to an external exchange rate office for continuously updating the rate of conversion, in particular a bank or currency market service, rather than to a central programming device.
Further, in an advisable construction of the invention the coin-operated machine controlling the release of the carts is outfitted with an additional coin acceptance device and this additional coin acceptance device, or the coin tester arranged upstream of the latter, is outfitted with a device for directly controlling the mechanism releasing the luggage pushcarts while bypassing the computer such that the additional coin acceptance device also enables the actuation of the coin-operated machine and luggage pushcart release by inserting one or more coins in the country""s currency.
Further, the invention can be carried out in particular in that the coin-operated machine is provided with at least two money reservoirs which are connected with one another in a drive-type arrangement by means of the computer, one of which money reservoirs is constructed as a money collecting cassette while the other is filled with coins in the currency of the present country.
Further, a design of the arrangement which can be operated with the fewest possible personnel could be characterized in that the central data processing system comprises a computer unit for detecting the pushcart demand and exchange rate requirements determined by the flight schedule or train schedule and for detecting the current whereabouts of the luggage pushcarts, as well as a comparison display and information concerning the current status of the arrangements for the supply of pushcarts, in particular a video monitor.
The central part of the arrangement for providing pushcarts is advisably formed of an electronic data acquisition installation in which the movement data and, when appropriate, the location data of all luggage pushcarts is detected and fed to a computer which, if required, links the sum of the location data of the carts moving into and out of each individual area of the overall installation and generates from this data an indication of the number of luggage pushcarts located at that moment in each individual area of the overall installation or in the individual assembling points. The computer can be a commercially available PC, i.e., a conventional video monitor work station, and, further, can be so configured that it either automatically cancels historic inquiry results, i.e., inquiries which have already been made once or have been repeated over a period of time, or saves them to a statistical storage. In particular, the train schedules or flight schedules of the mass transportation means are also stored at the same time in the computer forming the central part of the administrating arrangement such that the computer can also indicate via the video monitor, at the same time, the quantity of luggage pushcarts required at the respective time, location and train platform or flight arrival gate.
Further, the outfitting of the central part of the arrangement for providing pushcarts can be expanded optionally and outfitted for detecting and displaying additional data required for administration or, for example, for recalling luggage pushcarts for maintenance work at regular intervals or the like. With regard to the acquisition of data in the detection device or the processing of data in the computer unit, every response signal which proceeds from a luggage pushcart and which is provided, where appropriate, with a movement direction signal is advisably provided with a clock time signal in order to reliably display the instantaneous current distribution of individual luggage pushcarts on the one hand and to achieve a selection criterion for the data to be erased from the memory of the computing unit on the other hand. Of course, the response signals of the individual luggage pushcarts can also be supplemented by a time signal at another location, e.g., in the transnutter/receiver unit, if provided.
In the following exemplary description, the invention is described in detail with reference to an embodiment example shown in the drawing.